There has been scientific evidence that a nursing mother’s diet can directly contribute to her newborn’s colic. A study published in the journal of Pediatrics by Dr. David Hill of the Australian Royal Children’s Hospital said that “Our findings suggest in breast-fed infants who are otherwise well, and where breast-feeding technique is satisfactory, a significant number of infants can have their distressed behavior improved within one week of diet modification”.

Other reputable institutions also believe that breastfed babies with colic may be reacting to something their mothers ate. For example, the Oklahoma State Department of Health published a document titled, Colic: Why Babies Have It… in which the author states, “Colic may be the result of formula allergies or an an allergy to something the breastfeeding mother has eaten, like dairy products, gassy vegetables and caffeine-containing foods.”

What is colic?

Colic refers to the condition where babies will be extremely fussy and cry for a long stretch of time. Many parents can recall those first few months when they didn’t know how to stop the discomfort of their new bundle of joy.

What causes colic:

• Gulping gas while feeding

• Allergic reaction to formula or something the mother ate for breastfed babies

• Immature digestive systems trying to function

Symptoms of colic:

• Comforting the baby can be difficult

• Babies will cry for up to three hours

• They may pull their clinched feet and hands towards their body as if in pain

• Some will become gassy

• Bloated stomach

Colic Management

Doctors recommend that mothers who breastfeed pay close attention to the foods they eat. It is believed that removing milk and milk products, as well as vegetables like peas can actually help.

Holding your baby face down cradled with the head in the crook of your arm can also help. The baby’s legs should be on either side of your hand and try gently rocking back and forth. This is easier of course with smaller babies.

If all else fails, there are also special kinds of formula that can help to soothe the colic baby. Enfamil makes a colic formula which contains extensively broken down proteins that quickly reduce allergy-related symptoms such as colic. (Click here for a FREE sample of Enfamil Nutramigen Colic Formula).

If it’s colic, you’ll know it, say most parents. And while your instincts may not be quite on target all of the time when it comes to your baby, this one is probably right on.

Almost all babies go through fussy periods. Colic, however, is more than just garden variety fussing. Colic is an excessively fussy period when your baby is nearly inconsolable, usually taking place at night that occurs for more than three hours a day, three days a week and for more than three weeks. This extremely fussy time usually comes on in the evening or night time, and usually at the same time each day. It usually begins within the first few weeks after birth, and can last until the baby is about three months old.

Colic can be frustrating for both new and experienced parents; not all babies get colic, but when they do, there is seemingly nothing you can do to help them. I remember many nights of pacing the halls of my house, holding my infant daughter and trying white noise, swinging her and even taking her out in the car.

The good news is that colic usually gets better or disappears altogether by the time the baby is about three months old. In the mean time, here are some ideas for calming and soothing your baby so that you can all enjoy your time together.

Try a feeding. The last thing you might think a screaming baby will do is eat; however, sometimes a feeding is just the ticket to calm baby down. Try a bottle, or if you are breast feeding, offer your breast to baby – while he or she might not eat, baby might still get some comfort by sucking. In addition, a pacifier might also help to soothe baby and help him or her to relax.

Swaddle baby. Wrap up your baby in a blanket and rock him or her gently. The comfort and warmth of being all wrapped up tight and held might just help baby to calm down.

Keep moving. Swing or rock your baby, or, if you have one, put him or her in a baby swing. Or, you can take baby outside and go for a drive or a walk in the stroller. The rhythmic sound and motion can be soothing.

Use white noise. A soft “shhh,” classical music, a white noise machine or even a vacuum can help to distract baby and to calm him or her.

While baby colic can be stressful to a tired parent, there are some ways that you can help to comfort baby. Just remember that it is just a phase and will eventually pass. If you are concerned about excessive crying or if you think your baby may have more than colic, contact your pediatrician.

Very few things in life rattle you like a screaming baby that just can’t be comforted. The frustration, fear and anger experienced by most parents with an infant that can’t be consoled is very real, and very rarely talked about.

My second child was a screamer. She came out screaming and now, 13 years later, is still intense. I remember asking the nurses to take her back to the nursery so I could sleep during my hospital stay because I was overwhelmed with the amount of crying quite frankly. I remember them bringing around the babies for feeding time and hearing a screaming infant being wheeled down the hall in a bassinet. The screaming stopped outside of my door and I realized that the screaming infant was indeed my child.

Several days after she was born, she developed a severe case of jaundice and was re-admitted to the hospital. She was placed under special lights to help with the jaundice and her eyes were covered to protect them from the lights. I remember quite vividly how lethargic and quiet the other ill infants were. My child was screaming and ripping her mask off, so frequently in fact, that a nurse was assigned to stay over her crib and put the mask back on when she ripped it off. She was inconsolable, even though she was very ill.

I learned some very important lessons during those early years. I’d like to share them with you!

• A support network is vital. I didn’t have any family support, but I did have a network of helpful friends I could call when I felt super stressed.
• Take care of yourself! I hired a college student for a few hours a week so I could at least sleep or pamper myself a little without dealing with the screaming.
• I took my child to the doctor for a complete physical. I took my child to a second doctor when the first doctor suggested it was my fault or that I was just too sensitive. The second doctor found that my child actually had severe ear infections which were causing her pain. I took her to a third doctor when the second doctor prescribed my infant large doses of antibiotics which created side effects.
• I learned to swaddle my child! This really works.
• I learned that sometimes, you need to put your child in a safe place(like a crib) and walk away if you get super stressed and if there is no apparent reason for the screaming.
• Keep ‘gas drops’on hand. These are wonderful if your child has gas pain! They can be found in any drug store.
• Ask your doctor about changing formula types, or if you are nursing, see if certain foods might bother your baby. For example, when I ate tomatoes while nursing my son, he would refuse to nurse. I quickly gave up tomatoes, and foods prepared using tomato sauce, which was actually not an easy thing to do!

My fifth child was a very calm, easy going baby and I was so thankful! But the lessons I learned with my second child matured me and made me a stronger person.

In a perfect world, all babies would be healthy and would be easy to be consoled. We don’t live in a perfect world though. Hopefully, the above tips will be helpful to you if you are dealing with some of the issues with which I was dealing.

Do you have tips you’d like to share? Has something been very effective for you in calming your infant when he or she is upset? Please share!

Ask your baby’s doctor if Enfamil A.R. LIPIL is right for our baby.

Spit-up is the #1 most common feeding problem. It can cause anxiety for you and your baby. Enfamil A.R. LIPIL is designed to help. It’s specially formulated with an easy-to-digest rice starch that slightly chickens in the stomach to help baby keep down formula gently and effectively.

Only Enfamil A.R. infant formula is clinically proven to reduce spit-up by more than 40%*.

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* In a study with infants who regurgitate frequently (5 or more times per day), comparing frequency of spit-up after feeding Enfamil A.R. to baseline.

Enfamil(R) Nutramigen(R) is clinically proven to resolve colic symptoms* fast.

This hypoallergenic formula contains extensively broken down proteins that quickly reduce allergy-related symptoms like colic, diarrhea, vomiting and rash.

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*When due to cow’s milk protein allergy

Ask your baby’s doctor if Enfamil A.R. LIPIL is right for your baby.

Spit-up is the #1 most common feeding problem. It can cause anxiety for you and your baby. Enfamil A.R. LIPIL is designed to help. It’s specially formulated with an easy-to-digest rice starch that slightly thickens in the stomach to help baby keep down formula gently and effectively.

Only Enfamil A.R. infant formula is clinically proven to reduce spit-up by more than 40%*.

Click here to get a FREE sample

* In a study with infants who regurgitate frequently (5 or more times per day), comparing frequency of spit-up after feeding Enfamil A.R. to baseline.